Realtime vs non-real time - non-programmer question

[Metallica1234]

Hello
(sorry for my english)
I'm not a programmer just a musician interested to learn,
Can you please explain what is the difference between real-time and non-realtime specifically in synthesis?
For example: when i'm making kick drum in Wavlab or Adobe Audition everything is offline and non-realtime, and it sound best to me.
I have never been able to reach the same quality in other reatime synths in the DAW.
What do you think will be in the future or in development in this field?

Thank you

[avasopht]

The only difference between realtime and non-realtime is that non-realtime outputs its processing and is not played back in real time. That's it. Any different in sound or sound quality is purely down the the choice of the effect, and if the effect had been running in either realtime or non-realtime would sound EXACTLY the same.

Some processes are not realtime because they require too much computation to be calculated in realtime, but that does not mean that all offline processors are offline for that reason.

[whyterabbyt]

Can you please explain what is the difference between real-time and non-realtime specifically in synthesis?

There are specific limitations in realtime synthesis that dont apply to non-realtime (or 'offline') synthesis. The main one is obviously that it has to happen in realtime. In most cases, 'realtime' actually means something more like 'buffered realtime', ie the algorithm has to process a certain number of samples worth of signal before the computer's audio buffers empty, so that those buffers can be refilled without audio glitches.
The other main one, I guess, is that the realtime process is a stream... you get one chance to process it, and nothing you create after your 'current' time is available in advance.
Offline processing can go as fast or as slow as it takes, including processing a signal iteratively (doing something to the entirety of your audio, then using those results to do it again, etc etc)

For example: when i'm making kick drum in Wavlab or Adobe Audition everything is offline and non-realtime, and it sound best to me.
I have never been able to reach the same quality in other reatime synths in the DAW.

Entirely subjective, Im afraid. There's no consensus of definition of what 'quality' is.

What do you think will be in the future or in development in this field?

The future will be like the past has been; as processors get faster, realtime buffered synthesis can do more within a buffer's worth of audio; that means more complex algorithms become feasible.

[Metallica1234]

Thank you for answering!!

Some processes are not realtime because they require too much computation to be calculated in realtime, but that does not mean that all offline processors are offline for that reason.

Entirely subjective, Im afraid. There's no consensus of definition of what 'quality' is.

In the making of the simplest kick drum I use Signal generator for sine wav, and pitch bend envelope.
Does these processes specifically benefit from being non-real time?

Thanks

[avasopht]

Thank you for answering!!

Some processes are not realtime because they require too much computation to be calculated in realtime, but that does not mean that all offline processors are offline for that reason.

Entirely subjective, Im afraid. There's no consensus of definition of what 'quality' is.

In the making of the simplest kick drum I use Signal generator for sine wav, and pitch bend envelope.
Does these processes specifically benefit from being non-real time?

Thanks

It's important to understand how much our perception is shaped and altered by simple subjective differences, for example, the EXACT same sound will be perceived differently simply by changing the colour of the user interface.

Also being more involved in a process can cause us to be more biased towards liking a creation.

Of course there's always a possibility that you may have encountered synths with aliasing or quantised envelopes, ...

Increasing your knowledge will help find out exactly what is going on approach sound design like a scientist and you'll become a world class expert in no time

[whyterabbyt]

Thank you for answering!!

Some processes are not realtime because they require too much computation to be calculated in realtime, but that does not mean that all offline processors are offline for that reason.

Entirely subjective, Im afraid. There's no consensus of definition of what 'quality' is.

In the making of the simplest kick drum I use Signal generator for sine wav, and pitch bend envelope.
Does these processes specifically benefit from being non-real time?

Generating a sine wave, no. Pitchbending, maybe.

[Xenakios]

Actual sound examples of the "good" and the "bad" results would be much more interesting than speculation based on writing only...

[Metallica1234]

Thanks for all the answers!
I don't think there is a need for sound examples, I exported some 60 hz sine waves from several synths that I tried to make kick drum with, looked in oscilloscope and also just zoomed in on the wave files, one was kind of distorted, squarish.. , one was weird with quite random tiny jumps, but most of them seemed perfect like the tone generator in wave lab, but those didn't have the option of a multi-point envelope to the full range of the pitch, I guess being unsuccessful in creating the sound in the synths were in the amount of control i had over the point in the pitch envelope, that in the stand alone software I could work on it on full screen and zoom in to the points and really experiment with it...

learned a lot, Thank again

[alexirae]

Also, you have to consider that some plugins/software could do an extra work in non-real time mode that could be expensive real-time. For example high quality resampling, which in real-time at low latencies it is relatively expensive.

Maybe that's why you could hear a better quality audio with non-realtime processing.